Rats Chewing up your Place?

Rats Chewing up your Place?

1. Rat Facts

• Social scavengers which eat anything.
• Communicate by inaudible sounds.
• Teeth are harder than steel.
• Eat their own faeces.
• Reproduce even at 2 months old.
• Spread diseases such as the plague and the flu-like hanvavirus through contaminated dust, rats’ excrement, and bite wounds.
• Can cause extensive damage to properties by gnawing on wood and wiring (which can cause fires).

*Hantavirus and *plagues

2. Where they are Found?

• Dark corners, including:
  under or on top cabinets and shelves, behind piping, Even inside the roof void and underground.

3. When they Appear?

• All year round.
• Usually at night.
• Newer breeds can also come out during the day and have no fear of people.

4. Basic How-to (ERDM)

• Exclusion- prevent rats from setting foot by having NO food lying around and throw away thrash promptly.
• Restriction- Reduce the presence of dark and inaccessible corners and areas by having good proofing measures.
• Destruction– Use bait and pesticides. Cats are deterrents to rats too.
• Monitoring- Periodic inspection and housekeeping on furniture, flooring and the surroundings, including the greens.

Warning Signs:

• Presence of dead or living rats is the most obvious sign of rat infestation.
• Dirty and oily marks or stains on walls and flooring, and visible tracks.
• Round the large bites or damages found on wood and plastic materials and furniture.
• presence of rats’ droppings.